


Three of Cups

by Kalani_Smith



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Apprentice Has ADHD, Apprentice Has Aspergers, Asra Has Multiple Apprentices, Asra's Route, Dialogue Heavy, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, Julian's Route, Lucio Has ADHD, Lucio's Route, Lucio's Route Spoilers, Magic, Mild Sexual Content, Multi, Muriel Has PTSD, Muriel's Route, Musician Julian, Necromancy, Pining, Polyamory, Strangers to Lovers, The Author Regrets Nothing, no they aren't all entirely relevant, the entire first act relied on it and i'm so mad, these aren't explicitly stated in the story but they are true and i will tag it, yes i juggled them all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29142633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalani_Smith/pseuds/Kalani_Smith
Summary: “Celebrate your friendships today, knowing that the close bonds you’ve formed will weather any storm.”“You may have let your relationships wither in the face of your own responsibilities and stresses.”By chance or by fate, the apprentices of a masterful magician find themselves enveloped in a harrowing tale; a story of unlikely heroes, of pasts marred with uncertainty, of lovers both expected and not. One must uncover her past to rewrite the sins of an unconventional lover. One must gamble with fate in games of life and death to earn the trust of the weary. One must foil the dualities of logic and emotion to prove her worth. And together they should defeat that which taunts their futures with misfortune... or should they?
Relationships: Asra (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s), Asra/Julian Devorak/Original Female Character(s), Julian Devorak/Original Female Character(s), Lucio (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s), Muriel (The Arcana)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you're here from my other work, prepare for... something entirely different. 
> 
> I don't expect this to get much traction, but I've put months of work into the outline alone and I will see this monster of a fic through to its endingt. I can't guarantee my upload schedule, as I'm a uni student, but I will try to be regular with my updates.
> 
> I'll preface by saying that this is my interpretation of things. I'm juggling four love interests and three apprentices, so keeping things to canon is just not going to happen. I'm following the stories closely, but I've made changes where I see fit. I hope that's understandable
> 
> Enjoy the introduction, it's gonna be one hell of a ride.

“Trust me Taya, you know I won’t be gone long.”

Taya had heard that lie a thousand times, she knew better than to let Asra get away with it.

Taya was the last of the apprentices of Asra, without much specialisation in her magic save for her proficiency in potion brewing. With a strong bout of amnesia that had cursed her three years ago, she had built herself from the ground up, in this abode of a magic shop. She was only accompanied by her teacher, and his two senior apprentices, whose memories weren’t so fickle.

Asra was a good teacher, a magician that lived up to every stereotype; cryptic at the best of times, mischievous, and always disappearing. Not like he didn’t parade around in clothes that hardly fit him, wearing every colour under the sun when he saw it fit, just to stick out in the plainer crowds of Vesuvia. Overtime, Taya learned to admire his confidence, but still loathe that air of mystery he clung to so fondly. 

And not long after a trip to nowhere, here he stood, bag at his side, snake familiar Faust slithering out of one of his sleeves, saying goodbye once more.

And Taya was having none of it.

“Two weeks is a long time and you know it,” she snidely replied, still in the process of stacking potion ingredients she’d been digging through earlier. The cheeky smile that came to Asra’s face nearly made her scoff; she knew what was coming.

“I never said it would be two weeks.”

“That’s what it usually is, if not more, and you know it,” Vyx’s voice cut through the tension of their conversation. 

Vyx was Asra’s second apprentice. A magician with mysterious abilities Taya had seldom seen, Vyx was just the depiction of other stereotypes; sombre, and often sarcastic. She was the epitome of all black magic users, her haunting stare a testament to what she may have done to achieve such things – not that Taya was quick to make assumptions of her fellow students. 

Asra turned to Vyx, smirk dropping.

“Maybe so,” his response was short, but telling. His gaze slid from the blonde mistress back to Taya. “I have something for you, before I go,” his voice came again, hand diving into the leather bag at his side. From it, he drew something that made Taya’s eyes widen. 

“You think I’m ready to use that myself?”

“You have been for longer than I want to admit.”

“Ugh, get a room. I’m gonna read upstairs, for whoever wants to talk to me when you two are done. Oh, and Nick is with the stove salamander,” Vyx cut back in, swiping a spellbook from one of the shelves, and marching unsubtly up the stairs to their living space. As she watched Vyx disappear up the staircase, Taya felt a blush creep across her face.

A weight in her hand distracted her from whatever thought had overcome her. With a hand resting on top it, Asra had just given his tarot deck to her, no time to question his decision. 

“Want to try your hand with it? You’ve practiced enough, I’m sure,” Asra said with a smirk, making Taya’s stomach turn. Neither of the girls had been trusted to do readings much, this was an honour, in more ways than one. Taya gave a hesitant nod, and with it, Asra stepped away from her to sweep aside the curtain that would lead them to the reading room.

They settled across from each other at the reading table, nestling in the many cushions surrounding it. With shaky hands, Taya shuffled the cards, laying them out for Asra to make his choice. Without much thought, Asra pulled three cards from the stack, past present and future. Taya collapsed the rest of the cards, turning the first one for them both to see. 

“The High Priestess,” she stated, Asra’s expression begging her to continue. The voice in her mind was familiar, the message clear. “You’ve forsaken her.”

Asra’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I have?”

“She speaks to you, and you don’t listen.” The information was easy to relay on Taya’s tongue. Asra remained silent, though his expression was troubled. “It’s not wise to ignore her mes-”

Taya’s warning was cut off abruptly by a sharp knock on the front door. 

“At this hour… did you forget to put out the lantern again?” Asra asked, brow knit in a new kind of confusion. Taya sent him a deadpan glare; this was not her fault with three other magicians around to help out. He stood without another word. “You should check that, and I should be going,”

With little more to dwell on, they exited the reading room, Asra picking up his hat and pulling his scarf over his mouth. He turned to Taya, Faust smiling at her from the confines of his scarf. “Until next time.”

And with that, the shop was empty once more.

“Say goodbye to Ari,” she muttered into the silence, feeling the same disappointed hollowness as every other time. She would never be able to stop him. None of them could. 

The High Priestess was still in her hand, and she gazed at the card reflectively, but the being had gone silent for now. Something about tonight was off. 

Another sharper, faster knock resounded from the door, breaking Taya from her stupor. Right, a customer. She would have to fix the lantern later. With a sigh, she pocketed the card in her hand, and opened the door.

Before she could utter a word, a stranger strode through the opening. They wore a lavish purple dress, accented with gold and lace, a vibrant violet shawl wrapped around their head, bejewelled with feathers of some bird of paradise.

“Excuse me for the hour, but I had to find you before I lost my chance,” the stranger spoke with such authority, if Taya wasn’t sure before, there was no doubting it now. The stranger removed their shawl, unfurling a waterfall of deep purple curls, and a flawless face only achieved by the blessings of gods.

Taya was in the company of Countess Nadia.

“Your work as a magician has led me here. I’ve heard you’re the one I need to help me.”

Clearly this woman was confusing Taya for Asra. Everyone at least knew about him, but her? An amnesiac with no specialties? The Countess was mistaken. But this was going somewhere interesting, and Taya was willing to wait and see the direction. 

“You see, I’ve been having… nightmares. Visions of the future that terrify me to my core. Those visions showed me you, your face, and I found out about your work. Might you be able to aid me?”

So Taya was mistaken. Whatever. She had never heard of prophetic dreams before. Well, heard of them, yes, but a cause, a solution? Never. What the hell did Nadia think she was?

“I don’t think I’m the one you want,” she said, nonchalantly. With this, Nadia’s lip drew into a sneer.

“Whatever you may think, I know. And I know you were in my dreams.” 

The Countess paused her thought, hand rushing to her temple. “Might I ask for a reading? If you don’t think you can help, maybe the cards can.”

Taya took a moment to think about it, but the cards resting in her sash hummed with words unspoken. They had things to tell the Countess, whether Taya wanted to help or not. She nodded, trying to keep her demeanour respectful.

“This way,” she answered, drawing back the curtain to let Nadia into the reading room. 

She took her seat once more, collecting and shuffling all of the cards. She lay the cards out; Nadia chose her three. The words of the card were in her mind before she could fully reveal it to Nadia.

“The Magician.”

“And what do they say?”

“You have a plan that you’ve had doubts in. The time to act is now.”

With a small smile, Nadia seemed happy with this answer.

“That is all I needed to know,” Nadia said, helping herself to stand once more. She strode out of the room, leaving Taya behind, who rested the cards in a safe place, and followed the Countess out. “Taya, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to invite you to the Palace tomorrow night. I will have my head servant, Portia, escort you. The markets would be the best place to find her,” Nadia’s invite was more a statement; Taya wasn’t quite sure she had a choice in the matter.

And she’d never mentioned her name. Had the dreams really told Nadia her name?

The Countess gave Taya an expectant look, and she realised that Nadia had drawn her shawl back over her face, and was facing the door. Taya stood still a moment, before deciding to stop being rude, and opening the door. Nadia strode out with the same refined air as she had entered with. “Until tomorrow, Taya.”

And with that, Nadia disappeared into the empty streets. Taya stood in the open doorway, unsure of how to process tonight’s events. The strange warnings made by the cards, Asra’s leave, the encounter with Nadia. It was all so strange and yet she could stare into the streets that never changed and pretend like tonight was the same as any other. 

With a flick of her wrist, she turned out the lantern, and shut the door for, what she hoped would be, the final time that night. She sighed to herself, fiddling with the beads of her headdress, praying tomorrow would go normally. Whatever the Countess required her for, it better not be anything too ‘magical destiny’. Otherwise, Asra’s journey would be the worst timed in all the years she’d known him.

A sound distracted her from her thoughts. A creak of the floorboards, she was sure of it. But she could hear the raucous sounds of Vyx trying to pull Nick – her fox familiar - from the stove. Neither was downstairs with her. No one was here, surely.

Her heart tumbled at the sound of a voice, unfamiliar.

“Make this easy, and I won’t have to hurt you.”

From around the corner stepped a tall, beaked figure. The stranger held a crooked dagger, clad in leather, identity hidden by an avian plague mask. Taya’s heart stammered at the sight, knowing the kind of danger she was in. 

She quickly sidestepped behind the counter, hand grasping for the first thing she could find.

“Where is the witch, shopkeep?” they continued, hissing that word, ‘witch’. They drew closer, dagger raised and pointed at her chest. “Where does he hide in a place like-”

Taya threw the bottle in her hand, aimed right at their head. With a loud smash of glass, the stranger let out a surprised gasp, their mask dropping.

“Aren’t you the confrontational type! She never mentioned that,” the stranger exclaimed, blood dripping from their forehead. They focused their glare back on Taya, and recognition hit her like a bus.

A friend of Ariana’s. A criminal. 

“You’re Julian Devorak…” she murmured, causing Julian to snicker.

“And? So what? I’m unmasked, but that changes nothing. Where is your master?” Julian then hissed, shoving his dagger back into its holster on his thigh. His motive had not been forgotten in the commotion, clearly. 

“He’s not around,” Taya answered, simply the truth. Julian rolled his eye, glancing around the shop, his glare filled with an unreadable anger. “What the hell do you want with him anyway?”

“Oh, unfinished business is all, but I can find use for this. You!” he then pointed a long, gloved finger right at Taya, smiling a crooked, nearly sadistic smile. “Do me a reading.”

Taya nodded furiously, immediately offering for him to enter the reading room – she was not about to die for refusing a reading. Julian had to bend to enter, and she followed. Cards still in their place from Nadia’s visit, Taya shuffled them again, her hands shaking from fright.

As she laid the cards before her, she studied Julian as best she could. Miraculously, the bleeding on his forehead had stopped. Despite the threat he’d posed a moment ago, looking at him now, as he drew three cards, he just looked tired.

Taya turned the first card.

“Death.”

Julian broke into a sleazy smile, standing so quickly he launched the table into Taya’s stomach. 

“Of course. I’d be a fool to expect anything more! Shopkeep, you have done more than enough already.”

He marched from the reading room, cape swirling behind him. Gone so quick, Death still whispered their true message in her ear – change, renewal, the end of an era. Taya made chase.

“That’s not what Death means-”

“Death cast her gaze on a wretch like me and turned away. What more could it mean?” Julian was quick to dismiss her in place of a dramatic sentiment that, frankly, meant nothing to her. He bent back down to where his mask had been abandoned, blood stained on the carpet beside it. He picked it up, affixing it back on without concern. “The hour is late, and my work here is done. May we meet again, my dear.” 

And with a swirl of his cape, he had disappeared from the shop, leaving Taya standing alone, holding the card of Death with no more purpose. The card went tauntingly silent, and she begrudgingly ducked back into the reading room to collect the rest of the deck, all of which had nothing to tell her.

It appeared her night was over, and to the morning she had to go.

And she would leave such a strange night behind without a second thought. 

*

Grey walls enveloped Taya as she fell into her dream. 

The same place as always. It had been taunting her for weeks now. These same walls, the same door, drawing her in like a moth to light. It never changed, that urge to go forward. She had never made it there, she probably never would. 

But tonight, she would try like she never had before.

She let go of all resistance, letting her body move forward like a marionette pulled by unsteady strings. So close. A step closer. Don’t let go now, just a few more steps.

She reached forward desperately, the door just within her grasp. As her fingertips were to brush the bedazzled handles of this door, the floor dropped beneath her, smoke the colour of blood rushing up from the depths of the void. 

She plummeted through the smoke, nothing to break her fall, nowhere to go. It always went like this, the red smoke that stunk of death, that choked her.

As the smoke began to fade, light replacing it, a voice echoed. Taya’s heart lurched. She’d never heard this before. Someone, someone she didn’t know, voice humbling, yet sadistic. A sentence that would stick in her mind in the days to come. 

“ _Soon, my dear_ …”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taya enlists the help of her fellow apprentices as she goes to the Palace to learn of Nadia's mysterious task.

“Market’s busy,” Vyx mused, sidestepping a vendor pushing a cart stacked high with assorted fruits. Taya, lost in thoughts of the previous night, plucked a bejewelled bangle from one of the stands to inspect, the one-eyed vendor peering at her incredulously.

“The early birds get the worm, I guess,” Taya mused, placing the bangle back in its place, watching Nick under her feet as the crowds continued to bustle about her. Too true her words were, though the sun had still to rise fully, all sorts of the crowd had emerged already – first in first served spoke true in a place like the Vesuvian marketplace. 

“Who did Nadia say we were looking for?” Vyx asked, shouldering her bag to sit more comfortably. Vyx had come downstairs conveniently after Julian had already buggered off, and Taya had filled her in on everything that happened.

From Vyx’s bag fluttered a tired, tiny albino bat. “Morning Nevaughn,” Vyx greeted her familiar, who squeaked in happiness, and settled on her shoulder to sleep more. 

“A servant named Portia.”

“Description?”

“None. Helpful of her to provide, of course,” Taya nearly hissed, Vyx grimacing.

“Okay, we get it, you hate the Countess, you don’t have to curse her every you time you utter her name.”

“Good idea.”

They wandered for a short time, eyes peeled for the telltale patterns of the servants’ uniform, but in the crowds, they found nothing. The sun was rising steadily, and no progress had been made on their search – the marketplace, a wonderful place to meet someone, if you know which bloody street you’re on. 

Their wandering changed track when they noticed a small crowd had gathered outside the door of an apothecary’s shop. Why crowd in such a place? It was when they heard the simple but harmonious sound of a guitar that they understood. 

Joining the crowd, Vyx barged her way to the door, dragging Taya by the wrist with her. They peered through the doorway to see the fuss. 

“It’s always a pleasure to have you play, Ariana,” the apothecary, a sun-speckled and weather worn man of short stature, bid with a smile on his face. Placing her guitar under her arm, Ariana returned the smile, her face bright.

And there was Ariana, the first of Asra’s apprentices. Ariana was a musician, as her magic manifested best in playing music. Her songs made her popular in some ways, and she was not shy of the common crowd. Her absence last night had been for one thing; busking. Her wanderlust fuelled trips never took her further than the city limits, and weren’t as long-lasting as that of their teacher. 

“Always a pleasure to see you, Leif!” she chirped, turning to the doorway of the store, where the crowd was beginning to disperse, and where Taya and Vyx watched her with mischievous grins. “Uh oh, here’s trouble.”

“You can talk,” Vyx instantly shot back. “Where’s Trixie?” 

“Waterfall. And what brings you two to the markets this early? Where’s Asra?”

“Where the hell is this waterfall you keep talking about? Oh, and he nicked off last night, said he was gonna star gaze or something,” Vyx replied once again, sighing. Ariana stepped down, closing the apothecary’s door behind her. Her pursed lips told it all. 

“Typical. Didn’t come to see me either.”

“He said he would,” Taya interjected, a lie she hoped would go through. Ariana’s forlorn glance was, understandably, disbelieving of that statement. She fiddled with the emerald of her necklace, turning her gaze away from them.

“Ah well, win some lose some. You never told me what you’re doing here, though,” she mused as they set back off into the street.

“Oh! Right!” Taya exclaimed, having forgotten the question was even asked. “Someone visited us last night. Actually, two people did.” A cocked eyebrow from Ariana was a response enough. “The Countess came to see me… but I think she must have mistaken me for Asra.”

That was a lie, but Taya would stick with it. The truth bothered her more. She shook her head. “I don’t know, she just said I was to come to the Palace today, a servant’s coming to find us here.”

The three stayed silent for a contemplating moment. 

“Did she happen to say what she wanted with you?” Ariana quizzed, fidgeting the position of her guitar under her arm. With a sigh, Taya shrugged.

“Apparently she’s having prophetic dreams,” Vyx replied, interjecting once more. 

“Don’t see that often, no wonder she’s seeking a magician for help,” Ariana mused to no one in particular. “There was someone else, though, you said?” Taya nearly paused in her step at the question. She’d forgotten to mention that, of course.

Just as she went to speak, commotion ahead broke her train of thought.

“No, thank _you_ , Selasi! Always a pleasure!” a woman’s voice, coming from a familiar smelling stall. Through the crowd, Taya could see the trim of a servant’s uniform before the familiar figure of the baker. Without another word, she took off toward the voice, praying this was the servant sent to collect them. 

Only, in her confident stride, something collected her foot, and with a hopeless sigh, she landed flat on her face in the middle of the concrete street. 

“Oh no! Are you okay?” Taya heard someone say, and she lifted her head to the woman she had been trying to meet. Wild auburn curls framed her plump, freckled face, bright blue eyes cast in concern at Taya. Her hand was offered, which Taya took. With a grunt, she was pulled up to her feet. 

“Thank you,” she groaned through her teeth. She glared to her feet, cursing them, only for Nick to prowl at her ankle, yipping at her happily. 

The shithead had tripped her. 

“Oh, he’s cute!” the servant exclaimed, bending back down to pick up the fox. Nick, almost purring, allowed himself to be picked up by the stranger. “What’s his name?” Taya could only smile at the enthusiasm of this woman.

“Nick.”

“Cute! Suits him well,” the woman complimented, all the while her fingers buried in the fluff at Nick’s neck. She swooned at the creature in her arms, only to stop herself, a look of shock on her face. “Wait… you wouldn’t happen to be Taya, would you?”

Taya’s face lit up. Their escort!

“Yes! That’s me,” she said, beaming. 

“The Countess sent me to escort you to the Palace. I’m Portia, by the by,” Portia replied with a wink. Taya’s heart stammered in her chest at the small gesture, but it was covered when a harsh laugh and the sound of her name distracted her. She turned her head.

“You threw a bottle at him?!” Ariana cried, her eyes streaming with tears of laughter. It took a moment to register what Ariana was asking, but when it hit, Taya broke into an embarrassed smile.

“I didn’t know what else to do! There was an intruder, I did what I could.”

At this, Ariana had fallen to her knees in laughter, hardly breathing.

“So I told her about your encounter with Julian,” Vyx then said nonchalantly, as if her companion wasn’t in a fit. Taya saw Portia’s expression shift beside her, but neither spoke.

“Oh! These are my friends, Vyx, my bitter half, and Ari, my better half,” Taya introduced Portia to her friends. Vyx nodded with a smile, it took Ariana another moment to collect herself to acknowledge their company. “If you don’t mind, they’ll be joining me in whatever the Countess asked of me.”

“She did mention there would be others, so no biggie at all!” Portia gently handed Nick back over to Taya, who was concerned over the wording of that sentence. ‘There would be’… how could Nadia know? Unless that was another part of her dreams, if these dreams were real at all. “We’ll have to take some back roads to the Palace, if you all don’t mind,” Portia then mused.

“Wait!” Ariana shouted, throwing a hand in front of Portia, and striding over to the baker. “Selasi, I didn’t get to play you anything last night!” she turned back to Portia. “Do we have the time for a song?” 

Portia’s face was alight, and she nodded vigorously in approval. As Ariana took hold of her guitar, the baker gave her a flustered smile.

“Oh no, Ariana. I can’t always let you-”

“Nonsense! I won’t shy from my favourite audience ever! Any requests?” 

Selasi smiled, shaking his head.

“Is there anything I haven’t heard?”

Ariana smirked.

“I was saving this for the theatre, but I like you too much.”

With the statement, she began strumming, beating one foot to the loose stones of the pathway to create a percussive beat. Taya nodded along as Ariana began to sing, drawing the attention of some of the passerby. That performative presence was hard to ignore, nor was her music. Even with just a guitar and her voice, her magic took hold, stronger than most magics Taya had seen. 

As the notes drew out to silence, Selsai applauded, along with Portia and a few of the onlookers. Ariana, grinning, bowed, and placed her guitar back under the arm, adjusting her shawl with absentminded glee. With a salute, the group broke away from the marketplace, bound for the Palace.

Their road was confusing, Portia leading them through small alleyways and roads they were sure only Palace guards and servants used. Within an hour, Taya knew she was hopelessly lost herself – she had never been outside of their neighbourhood at Asra’s behest, who could blame her? She felt estranged, out of place in the vastness of the city. 

The sun had begun its descent when Vyx paused in her tracks, surprise crossing her features.

“What is it?” Taya asked, and Vyx promptly withdrew something from the confines of her bag. It was a small leatherbound pouch, that smelled potently of myrrh. Taya recognised the magic it was doused in instantly; a protection charm.

“I don’t remember making this… or getting it… where did it come from?” Vyx quizzed under her breath, turning it in her hands. “I’m sure I didn’t have this when we left this morning.”

At this, Taya too stopped. Portia and Ariana paused ahead of them, confused but unwilling to step in, for a lack of context.

“Wait, didn’t we see someone at the door when we left?” Taya asked, drawing Vyx’s gaze away from the pouch.

“I… it’s a warning. Someone gave us this as a warning…” Vyx glanced back down at the charm in her hands, brow drawn in anger and confusion. Taya mirrored the feeling; she was sure they’d seen someone, and that someone had given them this charm, but who in the hell was it? Why couldn’t she recall a face, or a figure?

Vyx frustratedly shoved the pouch back into her bag, murmuring something inaudible under her breath. Not worth her time, Taya thought. Vyx only broke into a smile when Nevuaghn snuggled closer to her neck from his seat on her shoulder.

“You magicians are so cryptic. I love it!” Portia remarked, setting them all back on track.

As the sun had begun to fully set, they came upon the Vesuvia Palace, a monolith of beauty, and the centre of their city. Portia graciously welcomed them, three knocks on the gate opening it right up. She led them onto the walkway, flanked by streams and gardens, all leading straight toward those grandiose doors.

They were cut off at the approach of two guards, clad in armour. Before either could speak, Portia caught their attention.

“Ludovico, Bludmila! I’ve brought three magicians at milady’s request,” she exclaimed, gesturing to her company. The girls all waved in turn. The guards gave an askance glance to each other, seemingly unconvinced. 

“We were informed there would only be one,” the one who Taya assumed was Bludmila spoke, sounding unsure of themselves. Portia didn’t let her smile fall.

“Well, _I_ was told there was a chance for more, and more there is! Milady will be unimpressed if the help she enlisted just isn’t let-”

The other guard held up a hand, silencing Portia.

“Understood then. Take them in,” the assumed Ludovico then replied, making an uncommitted gesture toward the Palace entrance. Portia beamed, and Taya found herself grinning too. They weren’t doing anything wrong, but this was almost exhilarating. She was standing at the entrance of the Vesuvian Palace. 

If not for a weird purpose, it was a chance she never thought she would get. 

Portia swung open the doors, greeting the troupe with a beauty they weren’t truly prepared for. Walls of sparkling gold, and floors so clean their reflections stared back at them. Lavish decorations were planted at every corner, and the ceilings seemed to go on into infinity. None of them had seen a place of such calibre before. Taya had felt out of place in the city. She felt more alien now than she ever would in her entire life.

A Palace. Not the place for an amnesiac magician, she thought. But she didn’t let her feet just stop now that she was here. She was here for a reason, and whatever Nadia wanted, she was going to have to hear it out.

“I think we just missed dinner, sorry guys,” Portia remarked as they came upon two large doors, made of dalbergia wood and accented in gold. She paused, hand hovering over the handle, before pushing the doors open.

“Ah. I wasn’t sure if you all would be joining me tonight. I’m glad you could make it,” Nadia introduced rather idly, not moving from her chair. Her crimson gaze lingered on Vyx and Ariana, before flicking back to Portia. “I hate to be a bother, but I would like to keep this first meeting between myself and Taya only.”

Portia’s brow drew in pity, and she guided the unwanted guests back into the hallway, presumably taking them somewhere to stay. “Taya, do join me.”

Taya, feeling much less confident without her friends, paced over to where Nadia sat, taking a chair beside her. “I understand you bringing them along. Vyx and Ariana is it?” 

Taya nodded, letting her gaze wander the room, anything to avoid looking at Nadia.

“I want to keep this between us for now. I saw you long before they appeared in my visions. But should they prove themselves trustworthy, I will not hesitate to let them join you.”

Taya inspected the room, nodding along to Nadia’s idle conversation. Her eyes swept from the crystal chandelier at the centre of the long table to the silver and gold silks of the tablecloth. As she did so, she felt the incessant scratch of small paws on her legs, and she picked up Nick to sit in her lap. The door opened again, and the shuffle of Portia’s footsteps came from that direction as Taya’s stare landed on something peculiar.

“Wine, milady?”

“No more for me, thank you, Portia. But do fetch something for our guest.”

Taya was enamoured by the sight. A painting, not like anything she had seen before. Human characters with the features of animals were the subject, the creature in the centre an eye-catching goat with ebony horns and brilliant red eyes. It’s energy made Taya’s stomach turn, there was so much more to what she saw than just canvas and ink. But what could it be?

“Ah. Do you like it? It was one of my late husband’s favourites.”

Nadia’s question seemed loaded, and Taya’s answer was quick. 

“Not really,” she responded. An aura seemed to pulse from the painting, like the coattails of dark magic were hidden somewhere behind the façade of a decorative piece. Nadia snickered at Taya’s answer. 

“I cannot argue with that. He did have quite… eccentric tastes.”

Nadia paused the thought to take a sip of her wine. 

“Taya, it is actually the subject of my husband that has brought you here.”

Taya tore her gaze from the painting to focus on her host. Where could this possibly go? From prophetic dreams to her deceased lover? 

“As I’m sure you know, Lucio was murdered three years ago, in his bed at the last Masquerade.”

Taya hadn’t been around to see that, at least not in her memory. But the gossip in the street was undeniable, there was no way she hadn’t heard of it before now. 

“What do you want me to do about it?” Taya asked, grimacing at how biting her tone had seemed.

“I was hoping you would aid me in capturing his murderer, Dr Devorak.”

Oh. This could go one of many ways. Taya only knew so much about Julian, but she knew enough. Something about all of this was… suspicious, to say the least. She clenched her fists at her sides, keeping a stern stare at Nadia. She had to word herself carefully here.

“And what will happen if I capture him?”

“I intend on having him publicly executed, hung on the first day of the upcoming Masquerade.”

A loud crash proceeded the statement, drawing both Taya and Nadia’s eyes to the source. 

Portia stood, looking flabbergasted, over a shattered bottle of wine. 

“Portia? Is everything alright?” Nadia asked, startling her servant from the temporary hypnosis of the accident. 

“Oh! Yes, sorry, milady! Slippery fingers tonight, that’s all,” Portia replied, a bite in her tone indicative of a bare faced lie. But as she fetched the cloth on her hip and began to soak up the wine, Nadia let the topic be, unconcerned for Portia or the mess she had made.

“I had forgotten to mention, I plan to host another Masquerade. It’s been three years since Vesuvia saw its last.”

What an odd plan. Taya had a simple question for that.

“Why?”

“There is method to my plans, Taya. I just have yet to reveal my hand in them.”

Vague. Wonderful.

“How does this all connect to your dreams?” Taya asked, genuinely bewildered at how hosting another Masquerade and finding a wanted criminal rounded back to this.

“You see… I’ve been seeing a… figure, in my nightmares. A ghost-like goat. It wanders the halls of a night, and… it clawed at the eyes of all of Lucio’s portraits. Night after night, screaming and ripping at them. As you can imagine, that is a disturbing image.”

Taya blinked in surprise. That was the last thing she had expected to hear. And yet, as Nadia had talked, she had found her gaze resting back on the eyes of the creature in the painting. There were layers to this. Layers she would have trouble peeling back all by herself. 

“Thank you for telling me,” Taya replied, bowing her head. 

“I’m not sure what to make of these visions, but I know it is connected to what happened three years ago. I thought the Masquerade had the potential to draw out the energy of the Palace, and it may help us learn the truth.”

Taya nodded to that explanation, happy to know the method to this convoluted plan. When Taya finally spoke again, her voice was a squeak. 

“I’ll do what I can about all this, but…”

Nadia broke into a smile, giving a soft chuckle.

“I know, you may ask them to help you. I expected as much.”

Wow. Hurtful. True, but hurtful. 

With a final sip of her wine, Nadia stood from her chair, brushing down her dress with elegant finesse. Taya followed suit, catching a glimpse of Portia and another servant having just swept up the last remnants of the bottle. “Portia, please escort the magicians to their rooms.”

Portia’s head rushed up to meet Nadia’s gaze, then back to Taya. With a forced smile, she guided Taya from the dining room. They walked in resonant silence, Taya lost in thoughts. A ghost-like goat tearing at Lucio’s portraits. That was a grim image, but it didn’t make much sense. Unless that figure was Lucio, the Masquerade had no guarantee of bringing out any energy. But why would Lucio’s ghost desecrate his own portraits?

The silence began to fill Taya’s mind, as the confusion brought on by all of her questions became too much to bear. A silence she had learned was uncharacteristic of Portia, who had prattled tales of her hometown to them the entire way to the Palace.

“Portia?” Taya asked, breaking the tense silence, clearly startling Portia. She blinked at Taya a few times, her questioning eyes a reply enough. “Slippery fingers?”

“It was just an accident. We all slip up sometimes, no worries.”

Taya wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but the familiar strum of a guitar cut their conversation short. The pair rounded a corner, and through an open doorway they spotted the abandoned magicians. Seated on a luxurious lounge, Vyx was resting her head in Ariana’s lap, who was running her hands through Vyx’s hair as her guitar strummed itself beside them. 

“Alrighty ladies! Come with me,” Portia roused the sleepy pair to join them. Vyx rolled off of Ariana’s lap, landing with a thud on the smooth floor. She let out not as much as a groan as she picked herself up, before plucking the flower from Ariana’s hair. Ariana, who had elected to stay seated, flew from her place, groping for the flower that had just been stolen.

“Never fails,” Vyx muttered, smiling to herself. Ariana, gripping Vyx’s wrist tighter than a vice, glared at her with murderous intent. She snatched the flower back, placing it in her hair once more, collecting her guitar.

“I’ll destroy you one day,” she hissed back, and Vyx let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Oh, I’m terrified.”

Portia let out a laugh, covering her mouth as she did. Taya smiled; it was so like them to act this way, no matter the place or occasion. 

“Are we ready to go?”

With three nods, Portia led them all out of the salon. Through endless hallways and scenery the blurred together, she led the troupe. There was only one stop along the way that Taya remembered. 

The hallway opened to their right, a staircase leading up to another wing of the Palace. Perched at the bottom of the stairs were two pristinely groomed borzoi dogs with vibrant red eyes. One of them had a tattered ear, but they were otherwise identical creatures. Taya might have mistaken them for statues if they hadn’t blinked.

“Don’t get too close. Mercedes and Melchior aren’t too fond of strangers… or anyone,” Portia warned, though her expression wasn’t worried, just annoyed. Taya stared at the dogs, and they stared back. One of them stood, stretching, and padding over to stare at Taya, the smaller of the two. The gold of its collar glinted under the lights of the hall. 

At Taya’s feet, Nick began to snarl at the dog, which reared back, snarling right back. “Okay, we’re leaving,” Portia blurted out, grabbing Taya by the wrist and pulling her away. “Mercedes! Down!” she shouted in command, but it didn’t answer her. As Taya was dragged away, she caught sight of the top of the staircase. No light seemed to glow from up there. An abandoned wing?

Maybe they protected it?

Maybe… maybe it was Lucio’s old wing. 

Taya didn’t bother to ask any questions, not wanting to overstay her welcome on something she didn’t necessarily need to get into. Portia eventually let Taya go, resetting the group’s pace to a casual stroll. Nothing eventful followed until they had stopped outside of a long line of doorways. With a smile that made Taya’s stomach flip, Portia gestured to the first.

“Taya, this is your room! Vyx, you’re just behind her, and Ariana, behind her. Holler if you need anything!”

With that, Portia was bustling back in the direction they had come. The girls gave each other a brief glance, before Vyx let out an open yawn.

“I’m tuckered out, see you bitches in the morning,” Vyx said with all the subtlety of a newborn foal on stilts. She yanked her door open, and disappeared into the belly of her room without a second thought, the door slamming behind her. Taya smiled to Ariana, feeling the thralls of sleep already tugging her eyelids. 

“I’ll see you in the morning,” Taya said, making her way to her door. Waving, Ariana walked to her own. 

“G’night, Taya,” she replied, disappearing behind her door. With a tug, Taya pulled her own door open.

The room was nearly the size of the shop, and the bed had enough space for all three of them. Purple curtains hung over a window that took up the entire outer wall, giving Taya a clear view of the gardens below. A maze of hedges, a fountain topped with a marble statue in the shape of the Capricorn symbol. It was beautiful. 

Taya yawned. The journey had been long, and she had only learnt so much more. She yearned to talk to Asra about all of this, but who knew where he was right now, in all the expanse of the earth he could be. Flopping back on the bed, Taya curled into one of the pillows. Nick followed suit, curling into the curve of her belly to settle for sleep. Smiling softly, she let her eyes close, ending the next chapter in this strange tale that was beginning to unfold before her.


	3. Chapter 3

The closer Taya got to the door at the end of that hallway, the more her tensity grew during the day. She longed more and more for sleep, knowing that with every time she dreamed it would take her right there, and with every night that passed, it grew ever closer. She had grabbed the door this time, but she hadn’t been able to open it before the telltale smoke had consumed her.

She was quiet as the morning began. She had slept soundly, if not for the dream. At her side now walked her friends, guided by Portia. Their rousing had been peaceful, but abrupt. The court had requested to meet the fabled magicians Nadia had so graciously entrusted, and, according to Portia, they were simply _dying_ to meet the group.

The sounds of music and bubbling chat came from an open door somewhere along the hallway. As Portia swung the door open to its fullest, Taya recognised the room from the previous night, where Vyx and Ariana had housed in their absence from the dinner. Now, the room was much fuller. Figures bathed in the soft light of the still rising sun were crowding the couches. Nadia looked up from her place behind a pipe organ, smiling at the group, though she didn’t stop playing to greet them.

“Portia, do introduce our guests. You may return to your usual duties,” she said, her smile soft. Portia, grinning, cleared her throat, bringing the attention of the court.

“Announcing Taya, Vyx, and Ariana, friends of the Palace, and apprentices of the magician Asra,” Portia’s voice rang clear, and Taya’s heart tumbled somewhat. It was unlike anything to be announced before people in such a way. 

“Oh, oh, aren’t you all so cute!” the smallest of the group exclaimed, her focused eye glimmering as she gazed at the three. Taya recalled the names Portia had told them on their way, this was Procurator Volta. Volta approached, tiny hands grasping for Taya’s, pulling her along to the couch she had been seated on before.

“Such esteemed guests, do join us!” Praetor Vlastomil, then followed, beckoning them to join him. Beside him, a gauntlet clad fist beat against the arm of the couch.

“Nah, not with ol’ worm! Sit with me!” Pontifex Vulgora then shouted, yanking Taya’s wrist from Volta’s grasp, and pulling her to sit with them. As they did so, Nick yapped loudly, snapping at the fabric of their toga. Volta and Vlastomil were already squabbling between them, trying to regain Taya’s attention.

When Taya was settled, Nick jumped into her lap, snarling at Vulgora, who gave him an intimidating grin. Vyx snickered.

“Someone’s popular,” she remarked, elbowing Ariana, who’s own smile had grown catty.

“Oh, and where for us, dear court?” she asked, the tone of her voice laced in fake pleading. 

“Make a place for yourselves, no one cares,” came the voice of Consul Valerius, who’s gaze on the pair was full of malice. Ariana broke into a wider grin, immediately drifting over to sit right beside him.

“You shouldn’t have!” she exclaimed, plucking the glass of wine from his hand. Taya bit back a laugh at Valerius’ expression, some sort of brimming hatred and surprise. He snatched the glass back, shifting as far from the magician as he could. 

Vyx gave an inquisitive glance around the room, looking for a place for herself. Taya knew there wasn’t much room on her own couch, already harboured by the eccentric side of the court. But there was room on Ariana’s couch; Taya would have taken that space, if not for the haunting stare of the Questor, who had yet to stop staring at her. 

Though, Vyx, in all her strange ways, elected to sit right next to them, settling beside Valdemar like they didn’t appear as some harbinger of death. Vyx turned to them, raising her eyebrows to accompany her award winning smirk.

“Hey,” she said, trying not to sound casual in any way at all. Valdemar finally took their gaze from Taya, to look at their new company. Behind their mask, it was unclear what their expression could mean.

“Good evening, if it good at all,” they replied. Vyx nodded, pointing half-heartedly to them.

“You. I like you,” Vyx said, nodding and grinning, seemingly unperturbed by the mysterious air around them. Taya nearly grimaced just thinking of being in that spot. Ariana was still trying to snatch Valerius’ wine, brow drawn in unadulterated mischief – her attention span was something to behold.

“Thank you all for joining me today,” Nadia was finally given the time to speak, cancelling out the chatter of the courtiers, and drawing everyone’s gaze. “As you know, my headaches and sleeplessness have been troubling me-” Nadia was cut off mid-sentence.

“As they have for so long, Countess!” Volta exclaimed, her expression pained in sympathy. Nadia’s lip curled, though she continued.

“Yes, Procurator. I felt the need to seek help from an outer source, and my dreams showed me who to find. I was led to Taya, who has brought help with her.”

That wasn’t the whole story, Taya thought, but she had the brain to keep her mouth shut. At the closing of Nadia’s sentence, Valerius stood, draining the wine in his glass, glare focused on Taya. 

“So its all true. Countess, it pains me that you felt you needed to go elsewhere for help. You need only ask us for help, should you need it,” he blathered, drawing his words in a false formality, the kind a first-class suck up would use to impress royalty. “And yet you sought a witch – no, _multiple_ witches - and trusted them with the news of the Masquerade before even your own court. It… truly pains me.”

Nadia’s brow drew upward in question at Valerius, unknowing of the expressions painted on Vyx and Ariana’s faces.

“Yeah! You’re lucky to hear that! Even we didn’t know!” Vulgora commented with explosive enthusiasm, shaking Taya by her shoulder for effect. 

“Wait, what’s happening with the Masquerade?” Vyx asked, throwing a silencing hand forward, though nobody had heard her question.

“Truly, the Countess’ trust in you is strong. So, _witch_ ,” he hissed ‘witch’, reminding Taya of her encounter two nights ago, how Julian had referred to Asra in the same demeaning way. “How about you tell us all what happened when our Countess came for you?” Valerius seemed smug in the finality of his question. 

“Is no one gonna answer me or?” Vyx interrupted, brow drawn in clear confusion. Ariana leaned over, the same wide-eyed look on her face.

“Taya?” she asked. They didn’t seem to care for the court, or anything but the news of the Masquerade. But Taya was drawn back to Valerius, standing over her so condescendingly, just waiting for her to slip up, and answer him.

“How about you don’t call me that?” Taya finally replied, giving an innocent smile to the Consul. His lip drew into a sneer, a nerve under his eye twitching.

“That is what you are, I’ll refer to you by your title,” he then snapped back, turning his back on her to sit back down in his place, an air of victory around him. 

“Then I just won’t share what happened. It’s not as exhilarating as you think it was.” Her reply had the same finality as his statement, and the same victorious feeling in her chest. She couldn’t help drawing a smile as Valerius sneered, his fingers gripping his glass with open ferocity. 

“Oh, but we were so excited to hear your recount!” Vlastomil complained, wringing his concerningly pale hands. Taya gave him a glance, shrugging, her smile refusing to drop. Valerius made a show of rolling his eyes, his hand lolling backward as he did so. In consequence, his wine went spilling over Ariana’s shawl. 

She gasped, jumping up, knocking the glass out of her way, but by the time she had reacted, there was none more to spill. Taya could feel Nadia’s aura change before she heard her stand.

“Consul.”

“Sorry, Countess. Accidents do happen,” he said, turning to Ariana, who was inspecting the damage with a downtrodden expression. “You’re magicians, no? No wave of a wand to fix something so inconvenient?”

“That’s not how it works, you…” Ariana trailed before she could curse him. Instead, she turned on her heel, walking to one of the nearby tables. Taya hadn’t paid them any attention, but they were laden with pastries and bottles of drink. As Ariana began to fumble with items on the tables silently, Valerius broke into a preposterous smirk. 

“Countess, are you sure this help you’ve enlisted is truly up to your standard?”

As soon as the sentence had exited his mouth, wine came splashing over his robes. Letting out a disgraced shout, he jumped out of his chair, standing back and sending his gaze to the culprit. 

“Sorry, Consul. Accidents do happen,” Ariana made a mockery of his apology, placing down the open bottle of wine in her hands. To Taya’s surprise, it wasn’t Vyx to crack up first. Instead, it was Vulgora who first broke into hearty, ear ripping laughter, followed by the timid giggles of Volta, then Vyx’s exuberant cackles.

Taya caught a smile on Nadia’s face.

“My help is to the best standard, Consul. Have more faith in my decision.”

Ariana proudly placed her hands on her hips, her smile catty. As she rounded the corner to settle back down in her place, shawl still soaked with wine, Vyx put up her hand, which Ariana reflexively clapped with her own. Nadia sent a smile to the three magicians.

“Taya, I think it’s time you filled in your friends on your task,” she said, clasping her hands and striding back to her piano. Vyx and Ariana instantly turned to look at Taya, faces turned in curiosity and unanswered questions. Taya smiled, letting Nick jump off before standing and beckoning the girls to follow her. “If you have any need for the courtiers, they are at your disposal,” was the last thing Taya heard from Nadia before they had all exited the salon and were back in the hallway.

“You heard about a Masquerade and you didn’t tell us?!” Vyx scream whispered at Taya as they began to walk back in the direction of their rooms. Taya sighed; she had been too tired to mention it last night, and now she would pay the consequences. “That’s no small deal, Taya!” 

“I know that!” Taya cried back, keeping her voice low. “I just… forgot.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Vyx remarked under her breath, tutting. 

Taya turned her attention to Ariana, who was uncharacteristically quiet as they walked. She had taken off her shawl, and was staring at the thick, colourful fabric, now stained red at the centre. 

“Surely we could get it laundered,” Taya said, her voice louder now that the conversation was casual. Ariana let out a small sigh, smiling to herself.

“It’s fine. I was kind of asking for it annoying him,” she said, though her voice was quiet.

“Asra gave you that, right?” Vyx asked, reaching for it slowly. Ariana passed it to her without issue.

“I think. I don’t… I don’t know when he gave it to me,” Ariana said, picking at her fingernails anxiously. Vyx waved her hand over the stain on the shawl, and Taya watched the wine seep back out of the fabric, dripping back onto the floor in a conspicuous trail behind them. Vyx handed the shawl back, looking as though it had never been touched before.

“It’s been around a while. Can’t have it ruined now,” Vyx replied, smirking as Ariana shrugged it back over her shoulders. 

Taya glanced up toward a doorway, her heart thudding to realise it was her guest door. That walk had gone by quickly. 

As the door closed behind them, the silence was deafening.

“So, what’s Nadia put us up to?” Vyx asked, getting to the point now they were in privacy. Taya took a deep breath, before explaining all that she knew. She was completely unsurprised by their expressions at the whole thing.

“She thinks the Masquerade will bring him out?” Vyx was the first to make a question. Taya nodded, unsure of how else to explain.

“It was his birthday celebration, right? It might do the trick,” Taya mused, biting her thumbnail.

“Sure, but I don’t think it’ll even take that much to bring him out. She said that she was seeing a goat claw at Lucio’s paintings in her dreams, yeah?”

Taya nodded, unsure of where Vyx was going. Vyx’s brow furrowed. “I’ve got half a mind to think that was him in her dreams…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, something’s up with his death, whether Julian did it or not. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he changed form when he died.”

“Wasn’t he the most self-centred prick around, though? Why would he go and tear up his own portraits?” Ariana was the one to ask next. Vyx shook her head. 

“Dunno. But I think we should look into it. His ghost is around the Palace, that’s for sure. It’d be a good start. Hosting the Masquerade might… aggravate the energy more than Nadia realises…”

Vyx let the silence play out, none of them sure how to tackle all of this. 

Their thoughts were interrupted by the ungodly screeching of a raven outside of Taya’s window. A flutter of black feathers passed, and Ariana’s eyes lit up.

“Nadia said she’s going to hang Julian on the first night?” she asked, though it wasn’t aimed at Taya. “God, why did I never think of it before?” Ariana turned with a flourish, hand already on the door of the guest room. “I’m going to ask him about what happened.”

“He turned himself in three years ago. What if he says he did it?” Vyx followed, a hand now on Ariana’s wrist.

“Then he’s lying.”

The door was flung open, and Ariana had set back off down the hallway. Vyx turned to Taya, a look of uncertainty in her brow. 

“You look around the Palace for answers on Lucio. Find where he might be trapped, see if there’s any stories,” Vyx instructed Taya, the opening of a plan. “I’m gonna go after her… shes…”

“Got a one track mind?” Taya finished for Vyx, who smirked.

“Yeah, sure.”

Vyx shut the door quietly behind her, leaving Taya to her plan. Look for the energy. Find some stories. Hunt him down. Seemed easy enough. Ignoring Nick’s grumbling at her feet, Taya exited the room, already having an idea of where to start looking.

*

“I don’t need your supervision, you know. I know South End better than you do,” Ariana grumbled under her breath as she and Vyx weaved through the narrowing streets of Vesuvia’s south side. Vyx struck an elbow to Ariana’s arm, brow furrowed.

“It’s not South End I’m worried about, dipshit,” Vyx started, a slight growl in her voice. “I’ve heard the rumours on the street about you two.” 

“And what do those have to do with anything? Its gossip, you know that,” Ariana tried to evade the topic, but Vyx began to count the stories on her fingers.

“The Robin Ship incident, that fire on the docks, all those times with ravens attacking guards like they were bespelled, everyone knows who was behind that,” Vyx pointed out, grinning slightly. It did do her proud that Ariana was a criminal on the side, but now, Ariana just seemed annoyed.

“Who cares? The guards aren’t even after me for any of that. What’s your point?”

She wasn’t catching onto what Vyx was drawing up.

“Lord knows you’ve got this plan to uncover his innocence, but you won’t do it because it might hurt him. You’d rather put yourself up to hang for the murder before you let anything happen to someone you care about.”

“Who said that?”

“I said that. I _know_ you, Ari.”

Ariana didn’t reply, and her gaze finally left the broken concrete. 

“We’re here.”

Vyx looked up at what Ariana meant. A painted sign bearing the words ‘The Rowdy Raven’ hung over the beat-up door. The structure was a stone monstrosity, and Vyx already knew why Ariana loved it. Song filtered through the stained-glass windows, even though the sun hadn’t yet set on the horizon. 

As Ariana threw open the door, the sounds of music and booming laughter flooded the street. Stepping inside with a smile, Ariana shouted, “Barth! Two rounds! And throw in the tap as well, I got company.” 

“Company, eh? Not brave enough to show ‘em the True-Blue o’ this town?”

“Nah, just not looking to get arrested for a murder tonight.”

Vyx followed in, feeling odd. She had always lived in the city, but she wasn’t much for the bar scene, and this was the most pirate bar she had ever entered. The bartender, who Ariana seemed to know as Barth, was a scarred thug with a large grin, who haphazardly poured her the rounds. She flicked a coin that spun nearly ten times before he caught it, tossing the steins to her.

Vyx observed the wildlife of the bar from her safe spot in the corner. On a table nearby, their target was playing a vielle, belting his lungs out some song in a language she didn’t recognise. The crowd around him sang along, some playing more instruments. They were all the definition of pirate, large bodies, scars and replaced limbs, drunken slur, the whole shebang. 

It was no surprise to Vyx that this was Ariana’s crowd; the perfect shindig for a bard to flourish in. And it made her stomach uneasy. Her concern was warranted. Already Ariana had downed one of the steins, and she had made no move to join Julian in any capacity. Even if she had been waiting for the song to finish, Vyx knew enough. Ariana wouldn’t bother with the subject; it wasn’t in her nature to be confrontational about things that made her uncomfortable. 

“They keep some good beers on tap. I won’t scar you with a Salty Bitters just yet,” Ariana’s voice came, cutting Vyx’s thoughts. She was offering a cup, which Vyx took. She looked into the mug, staring into the sparkling concoction, then giving Ariana a cover-up of a smirk. Anything to seem like she wasn’t dwelling on their purpose here. 

“Salty Bitters, huh?”

“Oh, it’s the worst shit you’ll ever have. House special. You gotta try it,” another voice suddenly cut in. Vyx glanced up, and Julian had now thrown an arm around Ariana, and was stumbling her over to join the crowd. “Come on, it’s your song, Ari!” 

Without hesitation, Ariana jumped onto one of the tables, yanking the tambourine from a sailor’s grasp. As the bridge had finished its stir, the final chorus began. The thumping of feet and the drunken slur of the song filled Vyx’s senses as she took her first sip of her drink. She watched, enthralled by the performance. 

As the song drew its final notes, the crowd cheered, including the people who hadn’t been part of the song. Julian threw his vielle onto an upturned chair, where it crashed unceremoniously. He leapt to Ariana’s table, scooping her up by the waist. “And what a surprise it is to see you, songbird!” he cried, jumping from the table with her still in tow. Vyx did her best to hide the unconscious smile that bloomed.

“Did Taya seriously throw a bottle at you?!” Ariana shouted, escaping his grasp only to grab for one of his hands, spinning him to press him against the wall. Though the question seemed angry, her face was alight. Vyx looked away, taking another drink. 

“Oh, you were told about that… well! I broke into your shop, and we’re all still alive. All’s well that ends well,” he took Ariana’s hand, once again swinging an arm around her shoulders. Ariana let out a sigh, though she was still smiling. “You never answered my question, dear. What brings you out on a gloomy Wednesday like this?”

“I told you about Vyx, yeah?” Ariana then asked, gesturing to Vyx, who had been staring intently at a card game, so as not to look invested in the dynamic of the pair. She waved, and Julian broke into a grin. Peeling from his partner, he spun to meet Vyx, offering a hand.

“The Vixen herself! How could I forget such a mistress,” he remarked, giving Vyx a smile that turned her stomach upside down. He gently took her free hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. He then glanced to the cup in her hands, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. “From the tap? Ari, you can do her better than that,” he said, turning back to Ariana, who had found his waistcoat and cape, and was threatening to place them under the taps of the bar. Barth, smirking, seemed nonplexed by her plan. 

“Buy her a better drink then. I know you like to spend on the pretty ones you meet,” she swooned over to him, batting her eyes teasingly. Julian’s face broke out in crimson, and he sent a smirk toward Vyx. 

“The pretty ones, indeed,” he muttered, but he wasn’t looking at Vyx anymore, instead at Ariana’s turned back. She smirked, and took the untouched clothes to a corner booth, beckoning Vyx to join. Vyx grinned at Julian as she passed, and he mouthed something to her that she didn’t quite catch.

Vyx slid into the booth beside Ariana, who had placed the cape around her shoulders and was striking a mocking pose. 

“Now I get why Fridays are so important,” Vyx commented sarcastically, elbowing Ariana in the ribs. Ariana let out a laugh. 

“I got friends in all sorts of places, Vixen,” she replied, roughly scruffing Vyx’s hair.

“Like the bedroom?” Vyx asked, and Ariana immediately stiffened in her place, face flooding red. Though teasing, Vyx knew her suspicions were true; Ariana wouldn’t ask anything about the murder. 

“Drinks for us all!” Julian then exclaimed, flopping down into the chair opposite them, sliding their drinks over with practiced ease. Julian tossed his head back to down his drink in one go, slamming the stein down with a tipsy grin. 

Vyx blinked into her cup; it was full of lavender liquid that shone under the light and smelled faintly of something fruity. Ariana’s cup had something deep green, that wafted the overwhelming scent of firemelons. Nothing like the tap she had been given a minute ago. “So, what does bring my duet partner and her gal pal here on a sultry night like this?” Julian asked, running a finger along the rim of his cup. 

Ariana finished taking a deep gulp of her drink before answering.

“Something important, I hate to admit.”

Julian’s gaze at her drew curious, and he pursed his lips in question.

“That’s bold of you.”

“I never bring it up, cause why should I, but…” she hesitated, and Julian’s expression dropped. 

Here it went. All the proof she needed. Ariana was never going to make the jump herself. The question was out before Vyx had any chance to stop herself, not that she would try.

“Did you kill Count Lucio?” she shot. After a moment of consideration, Julian let out a chuckle, leaning back in his seat, kicking up a leg, getting quite comfortable. 

“Its quite the story, Vixen… a story I don’t remember.”

Vyx blinked. What? Ariana’s head bowed beside her.

“I was hoping we weren’t alike in that regard…” Silence drew between them for a moment, a moment that made Vyx squirm. “What _do_ you remember?” Ariana then asked, surprising Vyx. Julian’s eye swept over the cups before him, before settling on the space between the girls.

“Of the event? Nothing. I know I was at the Palace, it was the peak of the Red Plague, where else would a Plague Doctor be? All I remember is waking up with the witch’s curse in that bloody dungeon. ‘You killed him!’ How was I to know I didn’t?” 

Ariana heaved a sigh.

“Are you still going on about that curse? Asra didn’t-”

“You think you know that Master of yours, Ariana, but I’m sad to inform you, he isn’t the person you make him out to be.”

“I’ve never seen that mark in any spell he’s done. There’s something going on-”

“You can’t convince me, songbird. You know I don’t read into magic beyond what I already know.” 

He grabbed the stein from Ariana’s hand, downing the rest for her. She stared, mouth agape in silent argument. 

“So you don’t remember the murder?” Vyx asked, putting them back on track. She could only assume that what Julian followed with was a wink.

“Bingo, deary. I mean, it makes sense that I did it, I knew where to find him, I had a motive, I’m sure.”

“Then why did you run away?” she followed up, sending a glare to Ariana, who’s stare had glazed over.

“Well, the seed of doubt was enough. Did I do it? Why hang for something I didn’t do? Besides,” he paused, hand going to his throat, lightly touching its centre. “I had other things to worry about.”

Vyx stood. There was only so much they could learn from this conversation. 

“We should head back to the Palace,” she said, directing her words to Ariana. Ariana stared at Vyx a moment, before standing as well. 

“Yeah, we probably should be going,” she restated, though it was clear she directed the words to herself. Vyx shouldered her bag, and had headed for the door, letting her friend follow after her. This was one hell of a place, and though she held respect for Ariana in certain regards, this was not one of them. They had a case to solve, and she would do anything to deviate? Vyx was nothing short of unimpressed. 

The air outside the Rowdy Raven was comparably cooler, and she took a deep breath of the evening air. She would have to put this out of her mind, or the situation would just make her angrier. She looked to the sky, where the last of the sunset was now cut by the brewing of deep blue clouds. They were in for some rain if they didn’t get back to the Palace soon.

The sound of footsteps drew Vyx’s attention, signalling that she was no longer alone. Turning, she saw Ariana joining her, fumbling to sit both the cape and shawl over her shoulders. 

“Sorry, I…” Ariana started, but she was cut off by a shout from the doorway of the tavern. 

“Forget something?” Julian called over, his arms crossed. Vyx let herself smile at that one. Ariana grinned to herself, eyes lighting up.

“Right! Shit, sorry,” she answered, running back to the doorway. But instead of shrugging off the cape to hand back, she grabbed Julian by the chin, and drew him in for a kiss. His face went bright red, and as they parted he slammed his head into the doorframe, as if to remind himself he was, indeed, still conscious. 

Ariana placed Julian’s cape into his shaking hands, poking her tongue out at him after saying, “couldn’t forget my goodnight kiss, now could I?”

“You… are going to be the death of me…” Julian hissed through clenched teeth, though his expression betrayed any angry façade he was trying to play. Ariana smiled, pecking him on the lips again.

“Tragic.”

“Vyx?” 

A voice that wasn’t Ariana’s or Julian’s suddenly spoke, startling Vyx, who had gone glazed over waiting for them to finish. She turned to see Portia, expression confused. “What are you doing in this part of tow-” Portia had begun to ask, before her eyes landed on the doorway of the bar. Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and recognition. “… Ilya?”

She shot forward, throwing Ariana off the steps and grabbing Julian by the collar, pulling him out of the doorway. She slammed the door behind him, searching his face. “Is… is it really you?” she asked, voice cracking as she cupped his face in her hands. His flustered expression had changed to mirror Portia’s, and his eyes were glittering.

“It is… Pasha, it’s-”

He was promptly slapped.

“What are you doing, you bastard?! Are you trying to get killed?!” Portia shouted, grabbing and twisting one of his ears. Julian cried out in pain, but Portia ignored him, dragging him along with her to one of the alleyways on the opposite end of the street.

Vyx and Ariana blinked into the space their company had once been, baffled by the encounter. They stood still a moment, before sighing at the same time.

“I told you you weren’t going to ask him anything,” Vyx snarked, fiddling with the strap of her bag, sending Nevaughn fluttering. Ariana glared, toying with her necklace. 

“So what? It didn’t turn up any answers anyway.”

“Wasn’t it your idea to find him? Or was that just a ploy to spend time with your boyfriend?”

“ **Shut up**!” Ariana shouted, making Vyx flinch. She kicked one of the barrels beside the shop over, letting the soil it was filled with spill over the concrete. Vyx could have sworn she saw movement in the alley next to the spill. “He didn’t do it, and I’ll die proving it if I have to.”

“You sure now how to change the mood, don’ch’a?”

Ariana didn’t answer, her teeth clenched.

“I’m going back to the Palace. Alone.” 

Vyx watched Ariana go down the alley now covered in soil, her footprints a testament to her going the wrong way. Fine. Ariana could be like that. Vyx hadn’t known anything different of her; if Ariana believed in something, she would go down to the grave to defend that, even if it meant pushing everyone else away.

Typical. 

Vyx followed into the alleyway, wanting to call after Ariana, but something stopped her.

She _had_ seen movement earlier.

A hulking figure was hunched in between the buildings, and somehow, the scent of the dead soil under her feet was staunched by the powerful scent of myrrh. Her hand went into her bag, fingers grazing the leather pouch. Under their hood, Vyx could see striking green eyes that refused to look in her direction. It was a stretch, but something echoed in Vyx’s mind; the one who gave her the charm.

“Excuse me?” she asked, and the stranger looked over to her. She approached the enormous figure, removing the pouch from her bag. Nevaughn settled on her shoulder, making a small squeak as the stranger turned more to Vyx, and the beer she’d drunk tossed in her stomach. 

Not just tall, but broad too. Even with the cloak, there was no mistaking the muscles she could see. Something in the stranger’s stare reminded her of something, somewhere in her past, years and years ago. It was when they spoke…

“You shouldn’t go back to the Palace,” they warned, and a vivid memory came rushing back.

The marketplace, the first time Taya had dragged her there without her brother. She was maybe 12 years old, being dragged at the wrist by the tiny brunette. They were going to beat the line for some steamed salmons, and as Taya had rounded a corner, they’d run into someone. 

Taya knew him. ‘Asra’s friend, Muriel!’ she had introduced. He had spoken to Taya briefly, before disappearing. That’s right. Taya’s known Asra for such a long time, she had known this stranger too. Why would Taya remember him now? 

“Muriel?” Vyx asked, taking a long shot. The stranger lurched in surprise, elbow knocking over another of the barrels in the alley. Through the sound of tumbling wood, Vyx heard the unmistakable jangle of chains. Their hood had fallen in the commotion, revealing messy black hair, and those eyes. Those striking green eyes.

The stranger steadied, regaining their composure from their shock. Their glare would have sent a shiver down any normal man’s spine.

“How do you know that?” Muriel asked, his voice low in warning. Vyx gulped.

“We’ve met before,” her answer was honest, and to the point. Muriel glanced away from her, sneering, but she couldn’t help but notice the slight creep of red in his face. “What’s this about not going back to the Palace?” she asked, bringing him back to his own warning. 

“You shouldn’t be looking into this. Stirring him up will only bring you all harm.”

Cryptic. Much like Valdemar before, Vyx could get into it. But she knew better than this stranger. 

“Lucio? He’s not a threat, not how he is now,” she explained, fiddling with the pouch in her hands. “Ari came this way, if we’re all in danger, why didn’t you stop her?”

Muriel considered her question, though his expression didn’t change. His silence was the answer she already knew. 

“I’m going back. Oh, and this is yours, right?” she held up the pouch, and Muriel’s lip drew in a sheepish way.

“You’ll need it,” he muttered, pulling his cloak back over his head, once again casting his face in shadow. “If you won’t listen to me, I can take you back,” he said, turning away from her. 

“To the Palace?” she asked. Muriel grunted, what she presumed was a yes. He started walking, and she ran after him. 

After catching up, she found herself having trouble keeping pace with him – not that she could see anyone finding it easy to do so. They stayed in silence for a while, as their journey took them through streets Vyx didn’t recognise at all. The South side had never appealed to her – the agricultural district had never come this far down – and she had never taken the time to learn its many nuances. 

As they continued to walk, going into territory Vyx began to recognise, cumulonimbus clouds gathered high above, carrying with them the distant rumble of thunder, and the threat of disaster.

“An omen,” Muriel muttered, picking up the pace. Vyx, jogging to keep pace, smirked.

“Of what?” she asked. She knew the implications of a storm, that was easy enough, but there was something in the grovel of Muriel’s voice, his warnings, it made her feel some way she didn’t quite understand.

He paused for a long moment, before finally giving his answer.

“You don’t need me to tell you.”

God, Vyx _loved this guy_. She couldn’t get a simple answer, and she was loving it. Just like playing mind games with her siblings when they were kids. 

Grinning somewhat, Vyx was going to reply, but was instead cut off by a loud bang of thunder. She turned her gaze up to the sky as the first drops of rain hit her face. Glancing at Muriel, she couldn’t help smiling at what she was about to say.

“That’s an omen of ‘we’re gonna be friends,”

Before Muriel could make a baffled reply, rain began to pitter down at a quickly increasing speed. With another glance to the sky, Muriel began walking again.

“Find shelter,” he muttered, clearing the staircase before them in seconds. Vyx coasted after him, nearly sending Nevaughn sprawling off her shoulder. Rain fell like a sheet of water over them, an unexpected weather event, given the state of the day. Vyx relished the feeling of her wet clothes, a reminder of days in her past. Times with…

A tug at her skirt made her trip, but a hand twice the size of her own caught her by the waist before she could tumble face first to the sandstone. She was so lost in memories, she forgot they were looking for shelter.

Muriel pulled her under an awning, where she could hear only the intense pounding of rain on metal. They were drier here than out there, save their hair and clothes, now soaked through. Vyx savoured a look at Muriel again, his hood having dropped from the weight of water, his hair clinging to his face, that was dotted with sparkling drops of rain. 

Her stomach turned as his eyes met hers, and at the same time they whipped away from each other. Vyx didn’t dare look at him again, though she had the feeling his face might be just as red as her own. 

“Thank you…” it was Vyx’s turn to mutter. She tugged at her corset and skirts, fiddling and adjusting to make herself look busy, whilst avidly ignoring the fluttering in her chest. Muriel made a soft grumble in reply, what seemed like a ‘you’re welcome’. 

An idea came to mind, and with it, Vyx promptly summoned a bubble of magic around them. Muriel, who had been fumbling with the chains Vyx could now see on his wrists, gave a perplexed look to the shimmer of light that had come over them. Vyx held it, before letting the light dissipate, enveloping them with a flurry of warm air. 

Vyx breathed a sigh as her clothes and hair dried. Muriel glanced between his hands and his clothes, seemingly bewildered by what just happened. But as he stole another look at her, the befuddlement left him. He gave her a nod, what she guessed was a thanks. He leant against the wall behind them, though it was clear he didn’t have the space to get comfortable while they waited for the rain to pass. 

“You never told me why you brought me back,” Vyx then commented, filling the silence. Muriel kept his stare at the gloomy street around them, making no indication that he was going to reply. “You’re the stoic type, huh? I get it, I didn’t talk much, then I started living with Taya. Do you remember her?”

“I don’t know who that is,” Muriel put bluntly, and Vyx knew it to be a lie - her memory betrayed what he said so clearly. But she nodded.

“I think she’s cursed. Got amnesia, then people forgot her too. Well, Ari did. You ever seen her? Of course you have, you saw her before me.”

Now she was just rambling, filling the silence with nonsense. It was her best quality: talking about nothing. Though Muriel looked annoyed, he didn’t tell her to be quiet. “You know Asra?”

At this Muriel perked up.

“Why would I know him?”

“Well, they say opposites attract. Asra’s all colours and mischief and you’re all doom and gloom. That’s a recipe for a lifetime of friendship if you ask me.”

She was prattling out of her ass at this point, what was she even saying? She knew Taya said they were friends all that time ago, but she had no idea of if he was going to talk about anything at all.

Muriel stayed silent, not answering her question, and not commenting on what she’d said. The rain beating down on the roof above them began to slowly ease in their uncomfortable silence. As it lessened to barely a shower, Muriel unfolded from the awning, stepping back onto the drenched street.

“Let’s go,” he said almost inaudibly, and Vyx, startled by his sudden choice to leave, charged after him, taking another near tumble with the slipperiness of the street. Silver light had begun to filter through the steadily clearing clouds.

Before long, they were standing on the final bridge leading to the Palace. Vyx turned to Muriel, smiling something she hoped appeared genuine.

“Thank you, Muriel,” she said, making direct eye contact in doing so. Muriel broke into a blush, but merely drew his hood back over his head.

“Think about what I said,” he replied, turning away from her, but before he could start walking back into the abyss of Vesuvia, Vyx called,

“Wait!” 

Muriel turned back to her, gaze tired. “Will I ever see you again, Muriel?” she asked, the butterflies from before once again beginning to flutter about in her stomach. He turned from her again, head bowed.

“Maybe. Not that you’ll know it.”

Vyx stared up at the Palace. How… how did she get here? She was just at the Rowdy Raven, Ariana had stormed away. She… how was she here? Didn’t someone take her? Who?

Shrugging, praying her memory wouldn’t begin to betray her like Taya’s, she made the last leg of the bridge to the gates.

*

Back in her guest room, Ariana wrung her shawl out on the floor, her hair dripping into the growing puddle of rainwater beneath her. She hadn’t warned the storm when she ran off, and reaped the consequences. How had Vyx gone in the storm? She didn’t know, Vyx wasn’t back yet.

That thought pained her. Why had she stormed off like that? She had left her friend in a dangerous part of the city to fend for herself. Even if Vyx was capable on her own, it was a dick move. 

Ariana knew her attitude back there was… something. But she knew Vyx was onto her, and it just fed the flames, like coal to a combustion engine. She knew she cared too much about Julian, but it didn’t seem incomprehensible that she wanted to protect her best friend. This investigation… it was bound to get someone hurt, be it her, or him, or both of them.

She didn’t have a plan. She thought she had one, but with every second she spent expanding it, she found more and more ways for it all to horribly fail, winding up with damage unable to be repaired. But Ariana knew she needed a plan, without one, she would blast her way through this all, without thought of consequence, and think of the repercussions later. Like always. 

Drooping her shawl over the coffee table, she fell back onto the bed, heaving a sigh and grabbing for her guitar. She strummed, letting the tone wash over her, as it were a wave. Life was so fickle, but the strumming of a guitar, the path of a song, not so. Once a song is written, it is the way it is. It was one constant she could fall back on. 

Without much thought, she let her fingers do the work on the guitar, letting an old tune carry out. Warmth was in her chest as she played, nostalgia filling her. Such a familiar tune, she didn’t have to think about it to play it. How long had she known it? Wasn’t she just five years old when she was taught it?

As she let the song carry itself out, she placed the instrument down. The past she couldn’t dwell on, for fear of the bitter. She had a plan to hatch, a friend to save. She sat up, bouncing her leg in the sheets she hadn’t bothered to fix. What was she to do?

Fiddling with her necklace once more, she left her room, letting her feet carry her out and about. No matter how much she thought, none of her ideas seemed to fit right. There was always some loose canon or stray plot hole in her plans, and she could never seem to find the right ending. Any and all plans, failures in her critical mind. 

She just wasn’t convinced Julian did it. Even if he didn’t remember his time at the Palace, he wouldn’t have done it. But how the hell was she meant to go about proving that? She had no evidence either way, and looking for answers could take her anywhere, and forever. Where could she go? 

Ariana let out a surprised gasp as her foot collected with something stone, and she fell forward into water. Her face hit stone, the shock causing her to inhale sharply. Dragging herself from the water, she hacked the water from her lungs. What had she tripped into?

She was hunched in water, and when she looked up, she found it was the goat topped fountain, visible from her guestroom window. She had only just dried off after the storm, and now here she was, tripping into bodies of water like it meant nothing. Sighing, she hauled herself onto the stone barrier of the fountain, sitting on it, her hands going to fix her braid which threatened to come undone completely. 

“Ari?” 

She paused. No, that wasn’t right. She hadn’t heard that. There was no one around, no one that would know her name. And no one with that voice. But still, she had to beg that question.

“Asra?”

“Down here.”

She let her gaze fall back to the water, her heart fluttering in her chest. Where she should have seen her reflection in the water, was Asra. She leant down, staring at him inquisitively. What was this? 

“I’m not bonkers, am I?” she asked into the projection. 

“Unless I am too, you’re fine,” Asra replied, breaking into a smile. “Did you summon me, Cadenza?” he then asked, smile turning mischievous. 

“Uhh… I guess? On accident I think,” Ariana managed to answer, her heart thrumming. How had she done this? What had she done anyway? Asra’s soft chuckle broke her train of thought.

“Something on your mind?” he asked, and Ariana stopped, fingers tangled in her hair. Oh, the things running around in her head, where to begin.

“A few things.”

“Not unlike you,” Asra teased, Ariana’s brow dropping. She was used to being made fun of by the others, but that didn’t make it any easier. 

“You didn’t say goodbye,” she said, and Asra’s face was exactly what she expected. Almost surprised, but at the same time, guilty.

“You’re all over the city when you busk. I didn’t know where to find you,” he replied, face flushing. Ariana bit her bottom lip in annoyance, but it was what it was.

“You know you can just follow the music. This isn’t the first time.”

“I know. I know three times makes a pattern, but…”

Ariana’s heart was hammering in her chest. She hated this about them. She was the first of the apprentices, and yet. 

“Where are you? Am I really seeing the Palace behind you?” Asra then asked, changing the topic. Ariana perked up, adjusting her position on the fountain. 

“Yeah. It’s quite the story, actually.”

She explained Nadia’s arrival, Taya’s task, Julian breaking in, and them all winding up here. As she spoke, Asra stayed quiet, an unreadable expression on his face. At the closing of her story, he sighed.

“I’ve never liked you spending time with him for that reason,” Asra commented, refusing to look at Ariana directly. She held back on sighing herself.

“You’ve also never tried to stop me,” she shot back, running her hand through the water. 

“Maybe so,” Asra said, pausing. “All I ask is that you stay safe. That goes for you and the girls. You all have a habit of finding or making trouble.”

“We learnt it from the best.”

Asra laughed at her comment, and her stomach turned, a warmth spreading in her chest. 

She never changed, no matter what happened. She never let it go. 

“It’s late, so… I think I’m gonna go to bed,” Ariana said, standing. Asra peered at her at through the space between them, a small smile still hinting his lips.

“That might be a good idea,” he replied. Ariana couldn’t help but see Faust, now slithering from Asra’s collar.

‘Friend!’ Faust’s voice came, making Ariana smile. 

“Oh, do you want to see Cadenza?” Asra asked, before grabbing her gently and holding her closer to Ariana. To her surprise, Faust’s head came bobbing up from the water, and she slithered right into Ariana’s waiting hands. “Take care of her.”

“Were you talking to me or Faust?” Ariana asked as Faust happily curled her arm and chest. Asra raised his brow.

“Who do you think?” he teased, but as the words left his mouth, his face fell. “Did you lose your necklace?”

The question made Ariana’s heart drop. She could still feel the fabric and metal of its chain around her neck, but as her hand went to it, its centrepiece was missing. Panic befell her, and as it did so, Asra’s visage faded from the water’s surface. 

Where could she have lost it? She was sure it had been on her all day. Julian would have noticed if she wasn’t wearing it, so the courtiers hadn’t stolen it. Had she dropped it at the Rowdy Raven, or on her mad dash home? 

‘Gem!’ Faust shouted in her small voice. Ariana glanced at the serpent in adject surprise, to see her staring intently into the water where Asra had once been.

“Gem?” Ariana murmured under her breath, and she reached into the water. Her hand clasped something smooth and thrumming with familiar magic. Of course. It came off when she tripped into the fountain.

Retrieving it and affixing it back to its clasp around her neck, Ariana could only wonder; had the emerald called him? He’d given this to her since… years ago. She wasn’t sure when. Maybe their connection through it and their shared element in water had opened a portal strong enough to speak through, if not to move through – unless you were Faust’s size, of course.

Questions and problems weighing on her eyes, Ariana let Faust slither over her arms, finally letting herself drift back to her guest room. Maybe she could sleep away these feelings, and tomorrow would be better. 

Maybe things would just get weirder from there.


End file.
